Lather-producing device



Dec. 5, 1950 R. MILLER LATHER-PRODUCIN'G DEVICE Filed Feb. 19, 1948INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 5, 1950 u-Narr so srr as P rem OFFF ICE;

LATHER-PRODUCING DEVIGE Ralph Miller, Munch- 1nd.

ApplicationFe'bruary 19, I948, S erialNo'. 9352 5-:Claims.

1c The present invention relates to lather produci-ng' devices, andmore-particularly to an instrumcntality comprising-the combination of areceptacle from which a-'- water solution of soap or the-likeiss-upplied to a' current-of air to be mixed therew-ith and convertedinto a lather of any desired consistency which is" ejected froma'nozz-le.-

The device I hasbeen invented particularly for use-in connectionwith-ordinary household vacu um cleaners; for-the purpose of providing acopious supply- 0f heavyl'a-ther which will be useful in-s'n'ampooingrugs; carpets; upholstery and the-like,- and it" has beenusedsuccessively for that purpose; However; it -is useful also in otherrelationshipsandior*otherpurposes; wherever the productionof acontrolled supply of light or heavy-latheror soap suds is required:

Principalobjects of the invention are to provide adevice ofthecharacterindicated which will be simple and durable in construction,foolproof-and reliablednuse; andunfailihgly efficient in performing itsintended'iunctions;

either objects are concerned-with providing a device ofthecharacter'indicated-in aiorm Which is highly versatile; so-tha-t' it canbe-used for numerous purposes where a supply of lather or soap suds isrequired,

Another object is to make the device of parts thatlare-rcadily separatedto permit the internal passageways to be cleaned and easily reassembledafter each :periodiof use:

Other objects and advantages will be apparent flOIllthE, followingdescription of an embodiment whichis-illus Jratecl int-heaccornpjanyingjdrawing Generally speaking, the invention includes thecombination of a barrel through which a current of air is blown and intowhich a small jet of a water solution of soap or the like is introducedand carried by the air stream through a unit providing a multiplicity ofsmall passageways inwh'ic'li" thefliduid jet is thoroughly dispersedii'r'the air 'so' that tlie air and liquid are intimatelyintermingled toproduce amass oi lather or soap suds which issues froma nozzle providedat an end of the barrel Referringto the drawing, A designates a barrelmembenof generally tubular shape conveniently made of sheet-or extrudedmetal formed with an inside diameter of the-order of about one andone-quarter inch; Whilesuch material; form-andproportions are'preferred,none of them is critical; so that-it is possible to make the barrelotherwise.

One end of the barrel} shown at the right hand side of' Fig-L l, isprovided with a fitting designated 1', icrconnectingwith a tube or hosebywliic'h a stream ofa ir may lac-supplied to the barrel; and the otherend of the'barrel is provid'e'd with a sleeve?- whichservesas a nozzle.The inlet fitting l may be, as shown in the-drawing, simply the terminalend of a vacuum-cleaner hose attachment for supplying a stream of air,or it may be a conventional type of nipple or connector for'attachingjany other air-supply conduit.

The nozzle 2 is best made in the form of a sleeve of metal like that ofthe barrel A but of large enough diameter, and preferably provided witha" lengthwise expansion slot 3; to make a resilientfrictio'n fittelescopically over the barrel so that it can be easily removed andreplaced.

Soldered or'otherwis'e secured'to what may be regarded as' the bottom ofthebarrel' member A isthe cap l of a reservoir" jar 5 onto which the capisthreadedor otherwise removably attached. The'ca'pis closed throughoutits top in the usual manner but" is more or" less centrally perforatedto mount and pass a' small'diameteritube G'which extends from'apointnea'r the bottomof the jar 511 through" an "op'eningin the barrelmember A to about'the'axis of 'tli'ebarrel, where the tube isbentforwardly substantially along" thea'xis to an open terminal end. Theportion of the tube adjacent to this end is mounted on an arm or bracket'5 in a funnel 8 which is formed by spinning or otherwise tapering theforward end of the barrel member A. An opening 9 is formed in the taper,around the end of the tube 6, so that air passing through the barrelmember will be constricted by the funnel 3 to move at increased velocitythrough the opening 9 and thereby aspi- 7 rate through the tube 6whatever liquid may be contained in the jar 5, as shown at [0.

I Wi a] practice for the principally intended purposes of the invention,this liquid may be a water solution of soap.

The terminal end of the nozzle 2 encloses an assembly of screen wiremesh elements through which the current of air carries the jet of liquidfrom the end of the tube 6 so that it is thoroughly broken up in passingthrough the screen interstices and mingled intimately with the air toproduce a body of lather.

A convenient mode of mounting the discs of screen wire mesh consists ininwardly flanging the nozzle, as shown at l I, and forming a unit oftelescoping sleeves i2 and I3 to serve as a casing for a plurality ofscreen wire mesh discs M, which are held in more or less compact,engaged relation depending on the setting of the sleeves l2 and IS. Theunit provided by these sleeves fits more or less snugly in the nozzle 2,up against the flange H. Its distance from the end of the liquid jettube 5 may be adjusted by moving the nozzle 2 more or less along thebarrel member A, thus altering the properties of the lather which isformed by impinging the jet on the plurality of discs and passing theliquid through them with the current of air.

It will be recognized that the barrel A at no time carries anything butair, so that it never requires cleaning. The liquid soap solutionreadily drains out of the tube 5 after each period of using the device.Only the nozzzle 2 has any contact with lather, and this nozzle iseasily cleaned by disengaging it from the barrel and flushing it and thewire mesh disc assembly out with a stream of clear water, as by holdingit for a moment under a kitchen sink faucet.

Numerous changes in the specifically disclosed embodiment may be madewithout departing from the essential principles of the invention. Thoseprinciples are pointed out by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lather-producing device comprising a barrel having at one end aninlet for a current of air, means for supplying air under pressure tosaid inlet, a plurality of wire mesh discs filling the barrel adjacentto its other end, and a tube having an outlet in an intermediate part ofthe barrel for conducting a water solution of soap into the current ofair so that a jet of said solution will be blown through the pluralityof discs and be aerated thereby to produce a lather, the side walls ofthe barrel being imperforate between the outlet of the tube and the wiremesh discs.

2. A lather-producing device comprising a barrel having at one end aninlet for a current of air, means for supplying air under pressure tosaid inlet, a plurality of wire mesh discs filling the barrel adjacentto its other end, and a tube having a portion extending lengthwisethrough an intermediate part of the barrel for conducting a watersolution of soap to an outlet in the current of air so that a jet ofsaid solution will be blown through the plurality of discs and beaerated thereby to produce a lather, the side walls of the barrel beingimperforate between the outlet of the tube and the wire mesh discs.

3. A lather-producing device comprising a barrel having at one end aninlet for a current of air, means for supplying air under pressure tosaid inlet, an assembly comprising a plurality of wire mesh discsarranged in contact with each other adjacent to the other end of thebarrel, and a tube having an outlet in an intermediate part of thebarrel for conducting a water solution of soap into the current of airso that a jet of said solution will be blown through the assembly and beaerated thereby to produce a lather, the side walls of the barrel beingimperforate between the outlet of the tube and the wire mesh discs.

4. A lather-producing device comprising a barrel having at one end aninlet for a current of air, means for supplying air under pressure tosaid inlet, an assembly comprising a plurality of wire mesh discsarranged in contact with each other and adjacent to the other end of thebarrel with their openings in random relation, and a tube having anoutlet in an intermediate part of the barrel for conducting a watersolution of soap into the current of air so that a jet of said solutionwill be blown through the assembly and be aerated thereby to produce alather, the side walls of the barrel being imperforate between theoutlet of the tube and the wire mesh discs.

5. A vacuum cleaner attachment for producing a lather for shampooingrugs and the like comprising a barrel, means for connecting one end ofthe barrel to a vacuum cleaner so as to be supplied with a current ofair under pressure therefrom, a reservoir attached to the barrel, meansfor causing a current of air in the barrel to aspirate a jet of a watersolution of soap from the reservoir to an outlet in the intermediateportion of the barrel, and a plurality of wire mesh discs mounted in thebarrel adjacent to its other end through which the current of air underpressure and the jet of solution will pass to be intimately intermixedso as to produce a lather, the side walls of the barrel beingimperforate between the outlet of the tube and the wire mesh discs.

RALPH MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 587,203 I-Ieaton July 2'7, 1897664,200 White Dec. 18, 1900 1,769,904 Bagley July 1, 1930 2,138,133Betzler Nov. 29, 1938 2,316,832 Aghnides Apr. 20, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 112,363 Switzerland Nov. 7, 1923

